Washer



Feb. 27, 1945. R, 1 BEED TAL 2,370,285

WASHER Filed Aug. 3l, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet `l INVENTOR.

ROBERT J. BEEDE N/cHoLAs auoNsAnRAT Feb. 27, 1945. R, J, BEEDE ETAL 2,370,285

\\ lNvENToRS RBERT J. BEEDE.

NICHOLAS G. MONARRA T.

ATTOR EY Patented Feb. 2'1,f1'94s l Robert J. Beede,

WAsHEn l Providenca'- and Nicholas G.

Monsarrat, Ruml'ordj, R. I., assignors to Pantex Pressing Machine, Inc., Central Falls, R. I., a

corporation of Delaware AApplication August 31, 1939, Serial No. 292,896

4 claims. (o1. s8144) Our invention relates to Jimprovements in washers.

In the prior art, whether for laundry or other uses, washers'of the rotary type have comprised a rotating work-holding member rotating in a body of liquid, which is static relative to the rotating member, whether said liquid circulates in said container or not.

An object o-f our invention is to employ the principle in washers of the rotary type, whether4 they Ibe used for washing clothes, such as in laundries, dry cleaning, fulling piece goods, or cleaning or washing other materials, which comprises, inserting the work to be washed and the cleaning liquid in a single container and rotat,

ing both simultaneously. We have found that this resultsin a more eflicient washing action the top, center, or bottom of its liquid level', we preferably provide a construction which will draw the liquid-from the top, whichnormally contains the solids and detritus washedfrom the clothes as well a's the detritus of the washing materials, or in greater selective volume from the top.

A further feature of our invention is to pro vide in combination with the feature just de? scribed, if desired, means to continuously recirculate the cleaning liquid through the material being washed, inwhich case'there is a greater tendencyV for the said detritus to rise to the top of the cleaning liquid, whether said recirculation comprises positive means exterior of the washer for recirculation, or whether-it comprises vcpntinuous circulationy between the washing for substantially the entire bodyl of the liquid is constantly brought into washing contact With the work and to interrupt the rotative movement of the work and liquid, we'preferably provide in the interior of the cylinder or container a plurality of means projecting inwardly therefrom to interrupt the travel of the work and throw it into intimate contact with the cleaning liquid. We preferably operate the cylinder or container so that the body of cleaning liquid will remain in the base of the container and the work will be continuously picked up by the lifting means just described and continuously dropped into the cleaning liquid. Due to the fact that there is a greater area of washing contact between the .work and the cleaning liquid, it is apparent that Y washing units of equal capacity can be made of much less percentage volume than those formerly employed. It is also apparent that due to the intimate contact betweenthe work and the cleaning liquid, wel are able to provide a washer which operates much more quickly than former types.

A further object of our invention is to provide a washer which will operate with a large per' centage of economy of cleaning liquidand laundry supplies. such as soap, detergent, Ibleach, sour, blueing, starch, tint, etc.

Aiurther object of our invention is to provide a rotary washer of the above-mentioned type provided with a novel type of means to ll the washer and to4 drain the spent cleaning liquid therefrom.

A further object of our invention relates to the novel means we employ for withdrawing the cleaning liquid from the clothes, `or other work`being cleaned without clogging the outlet pipe, and while we may, in various modications of our invention,draw the cleaning liquid from compartment and. a connected spent cleaning liquid compartment.

A further feature of our invention resides in thefact that we provide a breather port for admitting air to the materials being washed, so as to insure eillcient operation, to ventilexcessive gases, as. for example, whenl hot water is' introduced.

Further features of our invention relate to the means we preferably employ for continuously recirculating cleaning liquid through the washer, while the washer is rotating and the means shown for readily withdrawing lthe cleaning liquid therefrom either while in operation, or in a set position for loading or unloading.

A further object of our invention is to provide v .a washer which may be constructed of-a lesser amount of material,A thus eil'ecting a saving in the cost of material. I .I These and such other objects of our invention as may hereinafterappear will'be best understood from a description of various embodi ments thereof, such as are shown in the accompanying drawings. A

In the drawings, Fig. l is an end elevation of a washer constructed in accordancev with one embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view. taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l-showing in elevation in combination therewithl means'to continuously recireulate the cleaning material -side wall 36. As stated hitherto, the cylinder 32 is preferably rotated at such a speed that the lifting ribs 34 will lift the clothes and drop them into the body of cleaning liquid for optimum .cleaning operation. We also provide a work loading door 40 for said cylinder to load and unload the material to be washed therefrom. 'We also provide inlet means 42 to supply cleaning material in liquid forni to said cylinder, in our preferred embodiment having a supply hopper 44 connected thereto. We also provide. outlet means 46 to discharge spent cleaning liquid from said cylinder 32. To prevent the work from clogging the outlet means and for other purposes, as will be apparent, we also provide a spent cleaning liquid compartment forming partition 46 adjacent said outlet means to shield the work therefrom, dividing said washer 'into a washing compartment 50 and a spent cleaning liquid compartment 52. We may, if desired, provide a liquid level indicating means 54 for indicating thelevel of the cleaning liquid within said cylinder. We may also,'if desired, for loading and unloading purposes, provide means 56 to secure said cylinder to said supporting means against rotation at a predetermined point of its rotation.

Iny the embodiment of our invention shown, said means 56 to detachably secure said cylinder to its supporting means in a rest position with the work loading door 40 in its lowermost position comprises a latch pin 16 pivotally mounted on the supporting means for said cylinder detachably engageable within a suitable notch 16 in the cylinder. We have employed axially spaced standards 90 `and 32, which 4preferably comprise the respective A-frames 90 and 921 said standards being provided with the horizontally aligned istubaxle supports |02 therein, where A-frames are employed substantially centrally of the Across.

bars |04 thereof. The cylinder 32 is provided with a closed end wall |06 and an opposite end wall 98. The closed end wall |06, as shown, or if desired the opposite wall 86 is provided with a hub bearing.|05 for a hollow stub-axle |06 projecting outwardly therefrom adapted to be `mounted on the stub-axle support |02 of the standard 90, -having a'cleaning liquid supply pipe .connected thereto and a cleaning material supply hopper 44 connected thereto for the insertion ofwashing supplies, such as soap, detergent.

bleach, sour, blueing, starch, tint, etc. The op-4 posite end wall y|06 has the hollow `outlet stubaxle I2 projecting axially outwardly from. a suitable hub bearing which is mounted on the other of said stub-axle supports |02 on the.

standard S2. In order to`provide for fluid expansion in the cylinder on the insertion of hot water therein, or for other reasons, is preferably provided with the breather port 4 connected thereto. It is obvious,l however, that any wellknown type of means for rotatably mounting a cylinder on its supporting means may be employed.

Any suitable means may be provided t0 continuously or intermittently rotate the cylinder 32, in our preferred embodiment, comprising a reversing motor ||6 suitably mounted on a cross bar ||8 connecting the upper ends of the respective A-frames 90 and62. Said motor is provided with the usual drive shaft |20 having a pulley |22 mounted thereon and a belt |24 passes around said pulley |22 and around the cylinder 32 to. rotate it. While in accordancewith the teachings of the art, we preferably provide a reversing motor I I6, we have found in practice that in operation our improved washer is so eilicient that a unidirectional motor may be employed if desired.' In the embodimentof our invention shown, the end walls preferably project radially a distance beyond the periphery of the sidewall 33 of said cylinder so as to provide a stronger and more easily fabricated construction. The door 40 is preferably provided with a sealing' gasket so that it may be locked in a liquid-tight condition. Suitable stuiling boxes |32 may be provided where the stub-axles |06 and ||2 are mounted in the hub bearings |05 in the respective l end walls 96 and |06 of saidcylinder.

Means are provided, to guide spent cleaning liquid from the cleaning compartment 50 to the spent cleaning liquid compartment 52 during continuous rotation of said cylinder entirely independently of any means to draw cleaning liquid from said compartment 52.

We have shown a type of means that may be employed to withdraw the cleaning liquid from the spent liquid compartment 52, which means may be operative during rotation of said cylinder. The partition 48 extends completely around said compartment at a spaced distance from the end wall |06 and is provided with the notches |24 opposite the ends `of the perforate ribs 34 for substantially complete evacuation of cleaning liquid therefrom on 4revolution of said washer member, the ribs 34 terminating in the interior of said partition. In this embodiment, the parti'- tion is provided with a plurality of perforations |46 spaced from the outer edge thereof to selectively discharge a greater proportion of spent liquid from the top of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning compartment 50 into said spent cleaning liquid compartment 52 than is discharged through said rib ends |40 and notches |34. It is thus obvious that the lighter waste materials cleaned from the work and the detritus of supply material may be floated off from the top of the cleaning liquid. In this embodiment to discharge spent cleaning liquid from the cleaning compartment we lprovide a discharge pipe |50 extending axially through said hollow stub-axle ||2 preferably at a spaced radial clearance therefrom and having an inner end |52 projecting radially downwardly substantially to the bottom of said spent cleaning liquid compartment 52 and having an outer end |54 connectable to means |56 to exhaust spent liquid therethrough, which may comprise a suction pump |56 if desired. The suction pump |56 may be actuated in any suitable manner, as indicated by the pulleys |56 mounted filter |62 and returned to the inlet supply pipe |6,.

so as to provide a complete-continuous recircul lation of revivified cleaning liquidthrough the washer. n

The means 54 for continuously indicating the level of cleaning liquid within the cylinder comprises a tube |64 also extending axially through said hollow axle H2 having an inner end |86 proiecting radially downwardly substantially to the bottom of said spent cleaning liquid compartment d2 and an outer end |58 projecting upwardly exterior of said hollow stub-axle H2 having a liquid level indicating U-tube manometer 5i connected thereto.

The door i0 is located in the end wall 98 of the cylinder adjacent the inlet and preferably in a position near the lower end of the cylinderv for convenient loading and unloading when the cylinder is latched in' a predetermined position by the latch lli, said door being located substantially in the same position regardless of where the partition be located.

It is thus obvious that we have provided a t novel type of washer with the advantages porout departing from the spirit-and scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. A washer, comprising a closed cylinder having an axis and an outlet end, means including a hollow outlet axle to rotatably support said cylinder on said axis, a circular partition mounted in said cylinder at a spaced axial distance from said outlet end dividing said cylinder into a cleaning compartment and a spent cleaning liquid compartment adjacent said outlet end, circumferentially spacedhollow perforate lifting ribs projecting inwardly from the inner surface ci the cylinder side wall extending axially of said cleaning compartment, said partition having a notch therein opposite each rib end and a plurality of outlet perforations centrally thereof to selectively discharge a greater proportion of spent cleaning liquid from the top of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning compartment than is discharged iromvsaid rib ends into said spent cleaning liquid compartment, a discharge pipe extending axially through said hollow outlet axle' and having an inner inlet end projecting radially downwardly substantially to the bottom of said spent cleaning liquid compartment'and an outlet end and a tube also extending axially through said hollow outlet axle having an inner end projecting radially downwardly substantially tothe bottom ci said spent cleaning liquid compartment a hollow outlet axlek to rotatably support said cylinder on said axis, a circular partition mounted in said cylinder at a spaced axial distance from said outlet end dividing said cylinder into a cleaning compartment and a spentj cleaning liquid compartment adjacent said outlet end, a discharge'pipe extending axially through said hollow outlet axle and having an inner inlet end projecting radially downwardly substantially to the bottom of said spent cleaning liquid compartment and an outlet end and a tube also extending axially through said hollow outlet axle having an inner end projecting radially downwardly substantially to the bottom of said spent cleaning liquid compartment and an outer end projecting exterior of said hollow outlet axle having liquid level indicating means secured thereto.

3. A washer comprising a closed cylinder hav- 'ing an axis and an outlet end, means to rotatably support said cylinder on said axis, a circulan partition mounted in said cylinder at a spaced axial distance fromv said outlet end dividing said cylinder into a cleaning compartment and a spent cleaning liquid compartment adjacent said outlet end, circumferentially spaced hollow perforate lifting -ribs projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the cylinder side wall Y extending axially of said cleaning compartment, said partition having a notch thereinopposite each rib end and a central area of outlet perforations to continuously discharge a greater proportion of spent cleaning liquid from the top of the cleaning liquid inthe cleaning compartment than is discharged from said rib ends into said spent cleaning liquid compartment, the portion of the partition about said central perforated area forming an imperforate annulus, to continuously evenly iloat the surface. scum from said cleaning compartment to said spent liquid compartment.

a. A washer comprising a closed cylinder having an axis and anoutlet end, means to rotatcylinder into a cleaning compartment 'and a spent and an outer end projecting exterior ofsaid' hollow outlet axle having liquid level' indicating means secured thereto. A

2. n washer, comprising a closed cylinder having an axis and an outlet end, means including cleaning liquid compartment adjacent said outlet end, said partition having a central area of outlet perforations, the portion of the partition about said central perforated area forming an imperforate annulus, to continuously evenly oat the surface scum from said cleaning compartment to'v -said spent liquid compartment.

ROBERT J. BEEDE. NICHOLAS G. MONSARRAT. 

